GROWING NATIVE" SEED-COLLECTION EVENTS SET FOR SEPT. 12 AND 26

Potomac Conservancy is once again partnering with the Potomac Valley
Audubon Society to hold Growing Native seed-collection events in West
Virginia's Eastern Panhandle this fall.

To pre-register, contact Deanna Tricarico,
the Conservancy's Outreach Coordinator, at
[masked]
or [masked], extension 204.
More details about Growing Native at www.growingnative.org.

One of the events will be held September 26
at the Society's Yankauer Nature Preserve in Berkeley County.
http://www.potomacaud...
Event will run from 10:00 a.m. to about 12 noon, and will be held
rain or shine.

These events are very popular with children and make good family outings.
Every fall, thousands of Growing Native volunteers throughout the Potomac
River watershed gather native tree seeds that are donated to state tree
nurseries where they are nurtured into small tree seedlings. The seedlings
are then planted along streams and rivers in the Potomac watershed to help
restore forests that filter pollution and run-off.

A state forester is on hand to aid with tree identification
and seed-collection bags are provided.

Everyone is welcome to participate. Pre-registration is suggested but not
required; people can register on site at the beginning of each event if
they wish.

Directions to both preserves can be found on the Potomac Valley Audubon
Society website at http://www.potomacaud....

About Growing Native

Potomac Conservancy's Growing Native program is aimed at improving water
quality in the Potomac River. Since the program's inception in 2001,
volunteers have collected more than 119,000 pounds of seeds and helped
restore hardwood forests along nearly 800 miles of streamside land.
The Conservancy's seed collection events are open to anyone who would like
to participate.

For those who cannot attend either seed-collection event but would like to
help, by early September the Conservancy will install seed-collection
kiosks at three locations in the Panhandle: the Yankauer Preserve, the
Farmers Market in Inwood, and the Morgan County government complex on
Mercer Street in Berkeley Springs. For additional locations, visit
http://www.growingnat....

Families and individuals can gather seeds on their own at their own pace
and drop them off at these locations anytime through October 31. Full
instructions on procedures for gathering and dropping off seeds can be
found on the Growing Native website cited above.

Contact: Deanna Tricarico
8601 Georgia Avenue, Suite 612
Growing Native Outreach Coordinator Silver Spring, MD
20910
(301) 608-1188 ext. 204
http://www.potomac.or...
[masked]
http://www.growingnat...